


Bunk Off for a Hayride?

by AlyKat



Series: Falling [3]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Halloween and hayrides, Originally Posted on Tumblr, fall fic fest, ficlet Friday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 02:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5113169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyKat/pseuds/AlyKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Noble could very well be a madman, because only a madman would drive seven hours one way just to snatch Rose out of her classes and take her on a spontaneous adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bunk Off for a Hayride?

**Author's Note:**

> Thus marks the end of the fics regarding the Fall Fic Fest on Tumblr. I'm expecting there to be more little fics for these two, because I've grown quite fond of them, but for now...this is it. 
> 
> Until a new prompt appears that sparks an idea for them at least. :) Hope you enjoy it!

**_November 1st._ **

**_Text from Rose Tyler [8:07am]: John Noble, you lied to me._ **

Text from John Noble [9:16am]: No I didn’t. How did I lie? Hello to you too, by the way. 

**_Text from Rose Tyler [9:20am]: You told me you wouldn’t be round for the party. And you were._ **

**_Text from Rose Tyler [9:20am]: And hello. Feeling any better?_ **

Text from John Noble [9:24am]: Didn’t think I would be. Then I lost my voice, got a week off, so I came down. Wasn’t a lie.

Text from John Noble [9:25am]: Still can’t speak, but otherwise, yes I am, ta! Ever dry out and warm up? :)

**_Text from Rose Tyler [9:33am]: Finally did, yeah. Took ages to. How long are you round for?_ **

Text from John Noble [9:46am]: Just till I wake up enough to drive back to school. Week off, but still work to do. :(

**_Text from Rose Tyler [10:08am]: Then I suppose I’ll just have to text-stalk you til you’re well enough to talk again, won’t I?_ **

**_Text from Rose Tyler [10:10am]: If that’s okay. Seeings as how I have your number now and all_ **

Text from John Noble [10:12am]: That’s brilliant! Fantastic even! I’d like that very much, actually! :D 

Text from John Noble [10:13am]: Feel free to text away! I just have to get ready to leave, so might not respond. But I will! When I can! :D

**_Text from Rose Tyler [10:15am]: Good alright :D I will :D_ **

Text from John Noble [10:15am]: I’m looking forward to it! :D :D 

 

 

* * *

Rose would be lying if she said texting with John hadn’t become one of the highlights of her days. For two weeks following the Halloween party she and John would text each other every day; sometimes just for a few minutes, sometimes for so many hours that Rose had to scramble to get her phone plugged into a charger so it wouldn’t die. They shared stories about their day, vented out frustrations over projects and classmates and professors, and John would send her the most ridiculous (and adorable) photos of the action figures he kept on his office desk engaged in all kinds of epic battles of nonsense. Tentative plans to get together and hang out the next time John was back in London had even been bounced around a time or two. 

In all honesty, Rose was nearly ready to start counting down the days until he was back in London. 

Of course, the countdown would have been horribly, horribly inaccurate – actually, it would have been useless – the moment Rose stepped out of her life drawing class, weighted down with a supply box and black canvas portfolio nearly as big as herself, only to find John leaning casually against the wall across from the door. Rose stumbled to a halt, causing the person behind her to crash into her back and let out a stern curse. 

“Sorry,” She mumbled behind her as she stepped to the side and simply stared at John. No man had any right to look so attractive in blue jeans and a hoodie as he did in that moment. 

For a brief moment, indecision tore through Rose. They’d been texting daily, sure, but did that mean it would be okay for her to hug him on sight? Then again, they’d danced and hugged at the Halloween party, so…

A laugh bubbled out of her as she dropped her things and launched at him, hugging him tight around the neck and taking a moment to bury her face in the folds of his hoodie. Just to breathe him in. 

“What are you doing here? How’d you even know where to find me?” Rose asked, pulling back and settling her feet firmly back on the floor, though her arms remained around John’s neck, while his hands stayed on her hips. 

John grinned and shrugged. “Free Day Fridays,” he rasped back, his voice not quite back to 100% yet. “No classes for me on Fridays, thought I’d come down to surprise you. Surprise!” 

Rose was positive the smile etched across her face reached from one ear to the other. “I’ll say! What are you doing here, though?”

“I told you, it’s a surprise. C’mon! Grab your things! You can drop them off at your flat on the way.” 

“I’ve still got three classes yet. I can’t just–”

“Rose Tyler, do you trust me?” 

Rose blinked. “Yes.” The answer was instant and rather a surprise, because, yes, actually, she did trust him. Martha would think her mad if she knew that Rose trusted a man she’d only met twice and had only been texting a couple of weeks. 

With a playful, mischievous grin, John scooped up Rose’s discarded supply box in one hand, waited just long enough for her to grab her portfolio up off the floor, and took her free hand in his. “Then  _run_.”

* * *

 

The air was crisp but the sun warm as Rose tilted her head back and laughed. When John had seemingly kidnapped her away from her classes for the day, going on an adventure to an apple orchard wasn’t what Rose had been expecting, but it was without a doubt a thousand times better than being cooped up in stuffy lectures. 

They each had picked well over a dozen apples each, as well as shared a box of apple and pumpkin donuts with a large hot apple cider to wash them down, and were now cuddled up on the back of a rickety wagon, surrounded by straw bails and families, with John impatiently dipping his fingers into the jar of pumpkin jam he’d picked up at the gift shop. The children around them were staring in wonder as this grown adult was daring to do the one thing they would no doubt get a good head whack for. Eat the jam straight off his fingers!

As the hayride rolled to its end, Rose laughed again as John scrambled to get the lid back on the jar while wiping his hand off on his jeans so he could hop down off the wagon in order to help Rose down. Not that she needed it, but the thought was nice. Together they walked arm in arm, their bags of apples swaying in with their steps, as they simply wandered the family owned farm for just a little longer. 

Coming to a stop at a small pond where ducks flapped and quacked about in search of breadcrumbs, Rose leaned into John’s side and rested her cheek to his shoulder. “I still can’t believe you drove seven hours just to take me apple picking,” she laughed, smiling softly to herself as she stared out across the water. 

“Well,” rasped John, “what good are three day weekends if you can’t take an adventure every now and then? ‘Sides, not just apple picking. Went for a hayride, too.”

Rose turned her head and rested her chin on John’s shoulder, head tilted back enough to smile up at him. “So are adventures like this going to become a thing, then? Two of us just swanning off to somewhere new every weekend?”

John made a face and shook his head. “Maybe not every weekend. Fourteen hours in a car every weekend may drive me barmy. Even if the traffic is good,” which it never was, “but maybe every couple of weeks, or so. Tell you what though, you can pick where we go tomorrow.”

“We’re going somewhere tomorrow?” Rose asked in surprise.

John shrugged. “Could be. Up to you.”

“You just assume I’m doin’ nothin’ tomorrow? No big plans or a date or nothin’?”

“Do you?” John quickly glanced away. 

“As a matter of fact,” answered Rose as she hugged John’s arm a little bit tighter, “…no. I really don’t.” She laughed and smiled that tongue-touched smile of hers before giving his arm another squeeze. “So! C’mon, where we goin’ now?” 

Grinning bright as the afternoon sun above them, John turned them around and started for the car park. “I was thinkin’ Cardiff.” 

“I reckon you’ve already gone mad!”

“Maybe I have, Rose Tyler. Maybe I have.”


End file.
